This page documents an official Counter-Strike Wiki policy. The guidelines on this page should be followed by all editors at all times. Please keep in mind the policy is always under construction and may be updated without notice. |
The Counter-Strike Wiki permits the use of images to further enhance readers' experience. To help ensure the stability, consistency, and professionalism of the wiki, the Image policy is a set of guidelines for uploading and using images.
Images properties
Image format
The preferred image format is .png, as it has no compression artifacts and supports transparency. Ideally, every image uploaded to the Counter-Strike Wiki should use the .png format.
If you use Steam to take your screenshots, please follow this guide to obtain the highest quality .PNG screenshots.
If you have FRAPS, MSI Afterburner and any other program that can take screenshots, you can use it to take .PNG screenshots directly by changing the settings to save the picture as PNG.
Since .JPG files are compressed files, the compression cannot be reversed, so there is no need to convert them to .PNG. If you are not able to obtain source .PNG pictures, you can simply upload them as .JPG.
Any other format (.BMP, .TGA, .GIF) has to be converted in .PNG before uploading. You can simply use Paint or any other images application (with the exception of animated .GIF. Please see Animated Gifs section for more info.)
Image/file name
When uploading a file, it is important to reinforce internal and external SEO (search engine optimization) for users by using proper filenames. As such, the image should be named appropriately and relate to the image's contents. Images will be renamed, or even removed if the filename contains random numbers or letters such as "23423beabdoieuur43.png", default or ambiguous names such as "image-1.png" or "bomb.png", or completely unrelated names such as, "ditto, death.png."
Proper filenames should directly relate to the image's contents and purpose such as "csczds-scud-launcher-destroyed.png" or "CSGO-halloween2014-masks-CTs.png." Note how the file name includes a prefix denoting the file's game for easy classification.
Transparency
Certain images should be transparent. As images are often used in templates and galleries, transparency adds a much greater level of professionalism. This specifically applies to icons, sprays, and similar images. In-game screenshots should not be made transparent.
If you do not know how to adjust an image's transparency or lack the software to do so, upload the image and another editor can assist by adding transparency and re-uploading it.
Cropping
With the exception of certain in-game screenshots, every image should be cropped to show only the topic at hand.
Graphic settings
Images should be taken with the highest graphic settings if possible. Avoid taking pictures with low graphics, unless they serve as temporary images.
Animated Gifs
In rare instances when animated GIFs are needed, please be aware viewers will not be able to see the animation(s) unless the thumbnail has been clicked on. For the sake of this, ensure the first frame of the .GIF file is clear/legible and can stand on its own without being animated.
Image Galleries
All image galleries that appears in Guide pages should be put as slideshows while for the weapons, maps, and player model articles should appear as gallery images.
Gallery page layout
This is the accepted format for all gallery articles (excluding new weapon skins from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive) and should be put in this layout. Here is an example:
Every image that is related to the weapon should be put in the sub-pages for a specific weapon gallery. Example:
↓Images are divided by game.
Counter-Strike
Note 1: Weapons with detachable silencers should have both the view model of the unsilenced and silenced weapon.
Note 2: Weapons that have different team-based third-person animations should have images for both teams.
Counter-Strike Beta
Previous versions
Counter-Strike: Xbox
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero: Deleted Scenes
Counter-Strike: Source
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Alpha and Beta
Weapon Skins
↓ List of all Skins for the weapon. This only applies to weapons that appear in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
* also available as a StatTrak™ weapon
Audio
↓If the sound files are available, put it at the end of the page above the weapon navigator.
Game | Event | |
---|---|---|
Counter-Strike | Firing (burst shot) | |
Firing (single shot) | ||
Condition Zero | Firing (single shot) | |
Deleted Scenes | Firing (burst shot) | |
Firing (single shot) |
Images regarding player models should be put here. For example:
Images of SEAL Team 6. ←Describe the faction here
Counter-Strike
↓Images related from the CS Beta to CS 1.6.
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero
↓Images related to the multiplayer version of Condition Zero.
Condition Zero: Deleted Scenes
↓Any image related to the singleplayer version of Condition Zero.
Uniforms
Heads
Counter-Strike: Source
↓Images related to Counter-Strike: Source.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
↓Images related to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
In-game
Concept Art
Useful console commands
If you want to provide screenshots for general settings where the player's presence is irrelevant, you can hide:
- The HUD and the statistics when in spectator mode ("hud_draw 0" in GoldSrc and "cl_drawhud 0" in Source).
- The crosshair ("crosshair 0" in GoldSrc; "cl_drawhud 0" hides both in Source).
- View model of the weapons ("r_drawviewmodel 0" in GoldSrc and Source and "impulse 200" in Source).
You can also use "noclip" to have more freedom around the map (Deleted Scenes and Source games only), "god" to be safe from possible crossfire (Deleted Scenes only) or from falling when you disable "noclip", and also "notarget", so that almost every entity ignores you (Deleted Scenes only). That makes you practically invisible and you can take all the pictures you want without being bothered.
Note when taking pictures of multiplayer maps, you should type in the console "sv_cheats 1" without quotes and then type in "map (name)" (example: map de_dust). Also, be sure to do this by playing offline for this to work.
In certain GoldSrc games, disabling view model or spectator statistics cannot be done. When this happens, you can type "map (map name)"(ex. cs_assault) and you will load the map without the HUD icons (provided you didn't create or entered a server before you typed this command). You can also use "noclip" and "god" while in this mode. Note when you die in this mode, the map itself will fully reload as if you are playing in Half-Life or Deleted Scenes.
Note: All commands above must have "sv_cheats" set to 1. In GoldSrc games, the commands will only be enabled when the next map loads while for Source, the command will work instantly. For CS 1.6 and Condition Zero, you need to use command "changelevel (map name)". In Deleted Scenes, you must either restart the mission or proceed to the next map in the same mission. In Source however, you don't need to do anything special. It must also be noted that Achievements cannot be obtained in this way.
Images not suitable for the wiki
The Counter-Strike Wiki is not an image hosting website. If an image is unrelated to the Counter-Strike series or the actual wiki it is considered an inappropriate image and should not be uploaded here. The following are examples of inappropriate images. All images uploaded to the wiki are subject to consideration by admin and any image deemed inappropriate to the wiki will be removed at the admin's discretion.
Personal images
To ensure the anonymity and privacy of all users, personal images should not be uploaded directly to the wiki. If a user insists on uploading personal images, an image hosting website like Imgur can be used and linked on the user's page.
Simple example of linking to an external image
{{ImgEx|url=http://i.imgur.com/rlsEZ.jpg}}
This will create an image with the default width of 250px wide, positioned to the left width no caption or alt text. By default, clicking on the image will take the user outside of the wiki to the external image.
Full example of linking to an external image
{{ImgEx |url=http://i.imgur.com/rlsEZ.jpg |width=150 |align=right |caption=Hello |alt=I do what I want}}
See here for more info.
Custom Content in Images
The Counter-Strike Wiki is an information source for official content relating to the Counter-Strike series. As such, at no time should any images containing custom content be added to articles. This is to ensure the content will not confuse viewers into thinking the content is official or present in the official games.
If absolutely necessary, when taking a picture in customized server, make sure there are no custom contents visible in the picture.
You CAN use Garry's mod to take pictures of Counter-Strike: Source, as long the props in the map are untouched and no Half-Life 2 or other custom content appear in the screenshots. Depending on which part of the map you want to take a screenshot of, it may sometimes be more useful to use Gmod over CS:S to take a picture. For example: Turtle Rock Studio Easter Egg on militia (The picture has been taken while the crosshair and the HUD has been disabled and being zoomed-in with the Crossbow).
Exceptions include adding custom images to your user page. Any image uploaded in this manner must only exist on an user's page, and will still be at the discretion of the admins.
Textures error
Texture errors occur when a texture is missing during in-game rendering, a custom texture was used and is missing, or there is no support for the texture on a user's computer. These errors are generally represented by a black and purple checkered texture area (see the picture at right). This happened more often in Source games than GoldSrc games.
Images that contain Texture errors should not be taken or uploaded to the wiki. If needed, you can contact someone (specifically the staff members on this wiki) to retake the picture without any errors.
Inappropriate images/Offensive images
Inappropriate and/or offensive images will not be tolerated in any form. This includes, but is not limited to images of gore, pornography, offensive acts, inappropriate in-game sprays and other offensive content.
Uploading inappropriate/offensive images is prohibited on this wiki. Any content deemed inappropriate or offensive by the wiki admins will be removed immediately and the user will be blocked.
Duplicated images
Uploading the same image as one currently on the wiki is prohibited and the duplicated image will be deleted.
When updating an image, such as uploading a higher resolution version of the image, improving the quality, or fixing a bad crop, a user should navigate to the image (File:filename.ext) and choose the Replace option from the Edit dropdown. This is to ensure any reference in the wiki to the image will be updated instead of having two versions references in multiple places.
However, if you are uploading higher resolution version of image but has different file format (ex. JPG to PNG), replacing cannot be done directly. Instead, you must reupload the same image. However, be sure mark the old image for Deletion to avoid duplicating conflict.
Advertising
Uploaded content should not contain advertising of any kind. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Advertising and/or linking to personal websites
- Advertising and/or linking to commercial websites
- Self promotional images, such as including a by-line in the image
If any image contain any kind of advertising, the promotional line will either be removed and re-uploaded without one or the images will be deleted permanently.